November 15th, 2012: Monkey Hu$tle

What It’s About: Daddy Foxx (Yaphet Kotto) teaches his young students the art of the con, and eventually they all come together (along with a cameo-ing Rudy Ray Moore as hustler Goldie) to save the neighborhood from a highway development project.

Why Watch it Today?: Star Yaphet Kotto turns 73 today. One of the great character actors of his generation, Kotto is someone who I never tire of seeing on the screen, who has never given a bad performance, and is often, as here, the best part of the movies he’s in, including this film, which never comes together despite a strong performance from Kotto.